Five suspects have been arrested in the investigation into the spiking of drinks in the nightlife district of the West Flemish city of Kortrijk. They are linked to at least 41 victims. Those detained include the landlords of three bars. One of these was released after questioning.
The spiking of drinks involves mixing drugs or medication into the victim’s drink in order to then rob, sexually assault or rape them.
The investigation has been ongoing since October 2024. It began after in the space of a year 7 women had reported that their drinks had been spiked while they were on nights out in Kortrijk’s nightlife district. Once they had been drugged, they suffered sexual abuse. Shortly after the news broke, 13 more women reported that they had suffered the same fate when they had visited bars in the centre of Kortrijk.
In a statement the public prosecutor's office said that “The investigation concerns serious offences”. The five suspects are linked to at least 41 female victims of offences committed between December 2021 and December 2024. “They are suspected of rape, sexual assault and the deliberate administration of harmful substances, resulting in illness or incapacity.”
“Their modus operandi is very similar: victims were allegedly given a drink, after which they woke up the next morning and could not remember anything.” VRT News sources report that in most cases ketamine was added to the drink. This is a hallucinogenic drug that is known as ‘special K’, ‘Vitamin K’ or ‘Ket’. It is also used as an anaesthetic.
Two suspects are due to appear before an examining magistrate later today (Wednesday 26 March), two suspects are yet to be questioned by the police and one suspect was allowed to leave after questioning.